Author(s): Laure Sicard; Pilar Garcia-Navarro; Sergio Martinez-Aranda

Linked Author(s): Pilar García-Navarro

Keywords: GPU; Multi-layer numerical model; Suspended sediment transport

Abstract: Coastal environments are highly diverse and complex systems that are becoming increasingly populated. This growing human presence makes their management and protection ever more critical. In addition to being exposed to the consequences of climate change, such as sea-level rise, storms, and ecological alterations, coastal populations are subject to multiple constraints from both oceanic and fluvial processes (Chapman and Wang, 2000). Estuaries, which are at the interface between rivers and the ocean, are particularly vulnerable to all those processes. They are also key ecological zones that are progressively being restored and protected through scientific efforts. Consequently, an increasing number of estuarine models are being developed to support scientific research in these areas. Because estuaries often cover large spatial domains, the associated numerical models require high-resolution meshes with a large number of cells, necessitating the use of advanced computational technologies such as GPUs. In this study a multilayer suspended sediment transport model is coupled to a previous 2D shallow water model to follow the evolution of the concentration of sediments particles within the water column, we apply our model to the Guadalquivir estuary, located to the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain.

DOI:

Year: 2026